Tuscaloosa County Commission approves some recreation projects

By Lydia Seabol AvantStaff Writer

Thursday

May 30, 2013 at 12:01 AM

TUSCALOOSA | The Tuscaloosa County Commission unanimously approved $4.35 million in improvements Wednesday to Tuscaloosa County Park and Recreation Authority parks and facilities that are outside of Tuscaloosa city limits.

TUSCALOOSA | The Tuscaloosa County Commission unanimously approved $4.35 million in improvements Wednesday to Tuscaloosa County Park and Recreation Authority parks and facilities that are outside of Tuscaloosa city limits.But the commission has not agreed with the city of Tuscaloosa on how to split the cost of a multi-year capital projects improvement plan — a cost that has varied between $12 million and $15 million — for parks inside city limits.“Our goal is to work with the city and work with something we could all agree to,” said County Commissioner Stan Acker, who represents District 1. “We’ll continue striving for that. Right now, we haven’t been able to get the two plans exactly the same, but we’ll move forward. We are making progress.”In September, PARA Executive Director Gary Minor proposed to both governments a five-year, $12.1 million plan to upgrade PARA parks and facilities, with the bulk of the improvements at Munny Sokol Park and Bowers Park. The Tuscaloosa Tourism and Sports Commission teamed up with PARA to present the plan, which the agencies said would bring in additional revenue to the city and county governments through tournaments and other events that the city is currently unable to host.In the past eight months the price has fluctuated as additions and modifications — some suggested and proposed by the county — inflated the plan to $15.3 million, then $18.8 million until a $20.2 million plan was approved by the County Commission on May 15.According to that May 15 plan, the County Commission suggested a 50-50 split with the city of Tuscaloosa on $3.1 million worth of shared community projects and a 75-25 percent split on $12.8 million of upgrades and new construction at Munny Sokol and Bowers parks, with the city paying 75 percent. The county’s proposal also included $4.35 million in work that the County Commission would fund exclusively — the “county only” projects that the Commission approved Wednesday.“As we continue negotiations with the city, we may add this to the list, but if we decide we can’t negotiate with the city, then we’ll move on with (these projects),” Acker said. Approved projects include adding a second gymnasium and additional outdoor lighting to the Bobby Miller Activity Center in Taylorville at a cost of $1.5 million and another $1.5 million to purchase park property for ballparks in the eastern and western districts the county. Other proposed expenditures include improvements to Evans-Roshell Park and Northside Park, improvements to Buhl/Sipsey Valley, and $250,000 to go toward future PARA development. In response to the Commission’s May 15 plan, the Tuscaloosa City Council approved a $13.28 million plan for PARA improvements on Tuesday as a counteroffer. The city’s plan recommended a 50-50 division on $4.51 million worth of projects and a 65-35 percent split on $8.77 million worth of work for Munny Sokol and Bowers parks. It also scraps a $4.5 million, six-court basketball facility the county had proposed for the Jerry Belk Activity Center at Bowers Park. In addition to the City Council’s joint-funding proposal — which requires a response from the county by June 12, the day of the Commission’s next meeting — city leaders approved earlier this month a $5.6 million slate of projects for 14 PARA-operated sites within the city limit. City Councilman Lee Garrison, who pitched the counteroffer to the city’s Public Projects Committee, said Tuesday that the time for discussion is about over. But, on Wednesday he said he felt the city and the county could find a resolution. “I don’t want us to throw out the baby with the bath water,” Garrison said. “Let’s try to reach some common ground and move forward with what we can agree on for the betterment of our citizens.”Acker also seemed hopeful that the joint projects would be approved by both parties, given time for negotiations. “The plans are there. Hopefully they will come together,” Acker said, adding that the commission wanted to ensure the county-only projects were funded regardless and didn’t get lost in the negotiations with the city.